Volunteer with Home-Start

Becoming a volunteer is very rewarding

There a variety of volunteer roles available, from providing home-visiting, telephone or virtual support to helping out at one of many groups across Suffolk. We also have volunteers that support our admin team, fundraising & events as well as our board of Trustees. Take a look at these opportunities in more detail.

There are many benefits to becoming a volunteer. Full training is provided with continual professional development and further ongoing training opportunities are offered throughout a volunteer’s journey. We help our volunteers to gain new skills and experiences whilst working alongside professionals, which could be beneficial for future career opportunities.

It’s a great way to help build confidence and offers a sense of achievement, whilst giving something back to the community. Our volunteers are fully supported by our staff team who host support sessions and social events which offer the chance to meet other volunteers, socialise and form friendships.

Home visiting volunteer

Home-Visiting volunteers are an essential part of the Home-Start in Suffolk service – providing emotional and practical support to a family, in the family’s own home, once a week.

As a volunteer, you will be carefully matched with a family, then introduced by one of our experienced staff team.  A unique support package will be devised based on the needs of the family and a day and time for each weekly visit will be agreed to suit both you and the family.

You will build a trusting professional friendship with the family, offering emotional support, guidance and practical help during your visits, sharing your own experiences, with the ultimate goal to empower families with the confidence and skills to cope alone once support ends, creating a legacy of a long term difference.

Telephone support volunteer

Telephone support is a great way to give back even when your time is limited. Telephone and virtual support can suit full time work as well as company volunteering opportunities. It is flexible and can fit in around your other regular commitments allowing you the chance to get involved and give back to your community at a time that suits you and the family you are supporting.

Weekly telephone or virtual support has become a key element of our support offer. Our telephone and virtual support volunteers are ensuring we are reaching families who feel more comfortable sharing their struggles through a call rather than face to face.

You will make weekly contact via telephone or video call for up to 1-hour, providing emotional support and a listening ear, perhaps sharing your own experiences, to help them to navigate through this challenging time.

Group support volunteer

We host a range of groups across Suffolk from Stay & Play, infant massage and Special Education Needs  to groups for Military families, cooking workshops and pre- and post-natal support. Group volunteers play a key role in the running of these sessions, providing additional support to the attending families and helping with group-based activities.

Other volunteering opportunities

Trustees, Admin, fundraising, and event volunteers are also important to the success of our organisation. Admin volunteers provide office support, and our fundraising and event volunteers support our PR and marketing team in a variety of ways.

Fundraising and Event Volunteers 

The beauty of this kind of role is that it can fit around your schedule!
You don’t have to commit to a regular time or day!
You can support as many events as you are feel you are able to!

Just a few hours of your time could really make a difference.

Visit our dedicated page to find out more

Interested in volunteering?

We’d love to hear from you!

Call our team on 01473 621104 or click here to find out more.

To become a Home-Start in Suffolk Volunteer, whether home-visiting or by offering telephone support, you should:

  • Have an understanding of the challenges of family life (You don’t need to be a parent)
  • Be able to visit a family for 2-4 hours once a week (Home-Visiting volunteers only)
  • Provide weekly telephone support as arranged with your Coordinator for around 45 minutes to an 1hour (Telephone Support only)
  • Have a non-judgemental attitude or be able to put your judgements to one side
  • Undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check (DBS) and provide 2 referees
  • Complete the induction training
  • Complete a diary sheet for each contact with the family

Home-Start in Suffolk will:

  • Match you with an appropriate family.
  • Pay all your authorised expenses.
  • Provide initial training and ongoing training opportunities
  • Provide support and supervision from a dedicated Family Support Coordinator
  • Give you the opportunity to meet other Home-Start in Suffolk volunteers
Access support
Fundraising

“

The level of emotional support I have been able to provide for the family is what I always wished I could do when I was community nursing, but due to workload and time constraints could not.

— A Home-Start in Suffolk Volunteer